英语专业毕业论文-An Analysis of Wine Culture in Western Society.doc

An Analysis of Wine Culture in Western Society泰山医学院本科毕业设计（论文）AbstractAs a creature with thousands of years history, wine has an irreplaceable position in peoples society. It influences almost every aspect of peoples life, and dramatically promotes the civilization process. In this case, learning about the wine culture seems helpful in modern society. This essay is going to analyze the wine culture in western society and aims to disseminate the wine culture and let people have a right cognition about wine.Wine has a closely relationship with culture, especially in life, art, religion and etiquette, and it also has a significant influence on western peoples national character. Wine is a symbol of aesthetic which is formed in its thousands of years history. In the process of brewing, it has an indelible and positive effect on the development of human civilization. In chapter one the paper gives a brief introduction of wine, and chapter two write about how wine influences the formation and development of western culture. Chapter three tells people the close relationship between wine and western people. At the last part of this paper, the author shows the aesthetic value of wine, and the process and the significance of wines development. Through this essay, people can learn a lot of knowledge about the culture of wine and achieve the aim of improving self-cultivation. It will also teach people how to taste wine and form a health drinking habit and improve their life standard. In this case, it is important and obligatory to study about wine culture.Key word: wine； wine culture； western culture摘要作为一种有上千年历史的造物，葡萄酒在人类社会中具有不可替代的位置。它几乎影响了人类社会的方方面面，同时极大的推动了人类文明的进程。因此，在当今社会中，学习了解葡萄酒文化是很有用的。本文将分析研究西方社会的酒文化，目的在于传播葡萄酒文化并使人们对葡萄酒有正确的认识。葡萄酒与文化有着密切的联系，尤其是在生活，宗教，艺术，礼仪这些方面，并且对西方人的民族性格也有很显著的影响。葡萄酒是一种拥有数千年历史的美学符号，在其酝酿的过程中，它对人类文明的发展有着积极的不可磨灭的作用。在第一部分中本文对葡萄酒做了简要的介绍，第二部分则论述了葡萄酒是如何影响西方文化形成与发展的。第三部分写了葡萄酒与西方人的密切关系，最后一部分作者展示了葡萄酒的审美观及其传播发展的过程与意义。通过这篇文章，人们可以学习到关于酒文化的很多知识并完成提高自身涵养的目标。它还可以教给人们如何品尝葡萄酒，形成正确的饮酒习惯，提高生活质量。因此，学习葡萄酒文化是很重要以及必须的。关键词: 葡萄酒； 葡萄酒文化； 西方文化 ContentsChapter 1 Introduction.11.1 The Origin of Wine.11.2 The Important Role of Wine in Western Countries.2Chapter 2 Relationship between Wine and Western Culture.32.1 The Relationship with Religion.32.2 The Relationship with Art.32.3 The Relationships with Etiquette.5Chapter 3 Wine Cultures and Western People.73.1 The Influence of Wine on Peoples Character.73.2 The Influence of Wine on Peoples Behavior.83.3 The Different Drinking Habits of Different Peoples.8Chapter 4 The Aesthetic Concept of Wine and The Significance of Developing Wine Culture.114.1 The Aesthetic Concept of Wine.114.2 The Development of Wine and Its Significance.12Chapter 5 Conclusion.15Notes16Bibliography17Acknowledgements18Chapter 1 IntroductionChapter 1 IntroductionWine, just as its name implies, is brewed by grape juice. But the meaning it has is not only a simple drink with alcohol, but also a deeper and wider culture. In the other words, wine is an invisible and intangible connotation of culture more than an objective material flowing in the glass.Wine culture is a series of phenomenon combination which contains material, spirit, technique, custom, psychology, behavior that emerge around the center of wine. No matter the origin, production, circulation and consumption of wine, or its social and cultural functions especially the social problems it brings, all belong to the wine culture and the related areas. It is a unique cultural form that takes the idiosyncrasy of wine as carrier and takes the behavior of wine as center. Wine culture has the vivid character of nationality and time, simultaneously, itinfluences every aspect of social life and has an inseparable relationship with other cultural phenomenon.In essence, wine has both the natural attribute and social attributes. The object of wine culture study for involves not only the natural attribute like raw materials, tools, brewing techniques, but also emphasis on its social attribute, which means the specific influence on different fields such as politic, economy, culture, military, religion, art, science, technology, social psychology and folk customs caused by wine in social activity.1.1 The Origin of WineWhen did wine appear? There is variety of views. Some people think that the origin of wine is ancientEgypt, some people think it is ancientGreece. However, no matter how many sayings there are, it is a doubtless fact that our ancestor had already found the wild grape in nature in daily life and brews the oldest drink which they name it wine. Based on the existing record of wine, we can confirm that at least 10，000 years ago, our ancestor had already started drinking it. According to some archaeological data, the earliest viticulture area is in the Asia, the Caspian Sea and the Black sea region of south. “In these areas, viticulture has experienced three stages, that is the collection of wild grape fruit, the domestication of wild grape, and viticulture introduced to other regions by travelers and immigrants.”1 Greek is the earliest country which began wine brewing in Europe, later on, the Romans learned the grape cultivation and wine brewing technology. With the aggression of Roma Empire, such technology spread rapidly through France, Spain, North Africa and Germany, then formation large scale. Until today, these areas are still important wine production region. Throughout the history, it is not difficult to find that the history of wine and the history of human culture are almost developing together. These ancient civilizations all have a lot of myths and legends about wine. It is not only a magic and romantic drink, but also provides the existence and development of human society with a health fountainhead.1.2 The Important Role of Wine in Western CountriesAs an objective substance in the world, it appears in the shape of water but has the character of fire. “Both emperors and civilians ardently love this wonderful liquid, and drink a lot in every meal, just as Er guo tou in China.” 2 They regard wine as a sort of common drink, and would like to enjoy it in anytime and anywhere. The most fantastic thing of their drinking habit is like that: some appetizer wine before having meal, then some digest-helpful wine after meal; while eating, even they will collocate different dishes with different wines. For example, take red wine while eating meat, take white wine while eating fish, take sparking wine while eating dessert. “This strict matching mode continued up to now, and has become a kind of etiquette in entertaining guest, business or social banquet and family parties among western society.” 3Wine is romantic, elegant and health. A glass of wine will bring us a lot of imaginations and dreams. The most important reason of western people loving the wine may because felling in love with the life style it brings them. Wine has always been together with music, art, and fashion. The fast rhythm of modern city life effaces the elegance and leisure of daily life, so drinking wine is a life mood of pursuing happiness. No reason is needed for us to fell in love with wine because it applies us a dwelling of soul and a space of mind, and its magic power can allow us to seek after happiness and romance in the busy routine.We can define it as a culture phenomenon, because wine and culture are actually twins. The culture has not only prosperity, but also depression. Theres depression, there needs release, so we choose wine to complete this aim. Being compared with drugs, wine is cheaper and safer, therefore, as long as civilization exists, the wine will not disappear.18Chapter 2 Relationship between Wine and Western CultureChapter 2 Relationship between Wine and Western Culture2.1 The Relationship with ReligionWestern society has a series of view point about the origin of wine, the most acceptable one is that wine is created by Dionysus, the god of wine. More over, Christian sees wine as the blood of Jesus, because he entertains his disciples with wine and bread in the last supper and said, the bread is my flesh, wine is my blood. This scene has became classic, and been recalled in every mass ceremony. “But few people know that the Bible mentioned 521 times of wine, which means that wine and religious are firmly combined together right from the start.”4In Exodus (the second volume of the Bible), we can find the Hebrews feel regretful about leaving their vineyards in Egypt. But soon they find the greenness Sharon covered by grapevine in their new Promised Land, and then the vineyard spread rapidly in the whole Palestinian. Consider about the intimate relationship between Jew and the wine, it is easy to understand that wine is a requisite of their life in Jesus living period.In the early time of preaching Christianity, monks and monasteries play a decisive role in the preservation of civilization and grape cultivation. “The Vatican stipulates that missionaries must pass on the grape cultivation and wine brewing technology while preaching.”5 The churches even have full-time winemakers to provide qualified wine. Wine is also a sort of necessity in some Christian ceremonies, and the priests use it to serve followers and guests. With the spread of Christianity in Europe, the European build a lot of monasteries, as there is a monastery, there will have a vineyard. In this condition, people think that wine is not only a medium which may express their respect to god, but also the best vintages god grant. Just like holy water, although it is flavorless, but venerate for its sacred. Not to mention that the wine taste so mellow. Until now, the massive religious power still has great influence on the whole western society. 2.2 The Relationship with ArtWesterners and Chinese artist have extremely different performance after drunk. Almost all artists will praise wine because it will bring them revel and inspiration. The painter Giuseppe Arcimboldi, living in 16th century, draw the god of autumn in Bacchus appearance. Francisco de Coya, Charles Ford langsuowa and AugusteRenoirs painting shows the scene of grape harvest，aim to demonstrate the generosity of nature. Miller draws about the stout of cask while EngneBoudin representation the Bordeaux wine barrels in traffic sceneries. “In Europe, there are specialized schools and professional study of the art of wine tasting. “Plump, roundness, thick, fragrant” “Sending out fragrance melted tannins and exquisite scent of cocoa tree” “Like a pine tree bouncing fluent in the forest” “Warm and transparent like fishermans tears”, these emotional and colorful languages express the feelings of those artist, who loves the wine and regard it as his whole life.”6For example, British poet Ben Johnson express his intense and longing love to his spouse in Song to Celia, “leave a kiss but in the cup/And Ill not look for wine/the thirst that from the soul doth rise/Doth ask a drink divine”. That is the release of true ego and a return to nature in a western way of thinking, which desired to achieve gods tipsy state. Wine changes the Adventure of Humanity. There are three kinds of people since human learned how to brew wine. The first one is unable to drink, the second one is able to drink, and the third one is alcohol addicts. At all times the poet, musician and artist are always the third kind of people who loves the wine. Their spirit and thought will have sublimation once they are squiffy, and then there will be the naissance of masterpiece. Germanys famous poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has his life attached to wine until death. When Goethe was born, he was dying and someone put him into the warm wine for a baptism, nobody knew such action would offer him a chance to live. Therefore, the wine that brings Goethe back to life plays an important role in his lifetime. A lot of his poems have the trail of wine, and also the other great poets all over the world use to brew composition from wine.The most famous saying is like this, “I taste it, and love it, wine let us be the master of ourselves, and free the slavery tongue.” As well as poet, musician and artist also release their spirit and grip inspirations in the aroma of this splendid liquid, and create a large number of well-known tunes and tremendous art treasures. Such as Mozart, Bruckner, Haydn, Schubert and Schumann, these great composers always work in a squiffy condition.In French, they even have special collages and majors to learn wine art. In their opinion, it is giving up the basic enjoyment of drinking if drain the wine with no appreciation of the color and aroma. In addition, drinking has its special procedures: stop talking while picking up glass, raise your glass before taste and enjoy its bright beautiful color and luster with eyes; swing the glass lightly and dissipating the bouquet, sniff gently with nose, then take a little sip.2.3 The Relationship with EtiquetteIn a social intercourse occasion, wine has its own etiquettes which may as complicate as Chinese Teaism. When western people attending a banquet or a party, the most common scene will be like this, at first master toast to guests to thank their coming and wish everybody could enjoy themselves. At the rest of time the guest always drink and chat with partner or be in drink alone. As we know, Chinese pay more attention to people and atmosphere while drinking spirit, but westerners think highly of the collocation of the flavor of wine and the food material. They use different drinks to match different dishes. “For example, salad and buffet can collocate with dry white wine, the first dish must collocate with dry white wine, dry red wine or rose wine; when eating seafood of entree, strong dry white wine(1214) is essential, but the poultry kind of entree has to be collocated with strong dry red wine(1214).”7 Yet the dessert needs dessert wine or champagne. In this case, it needs five or six different kinds of wines in a formal dinner. Western etiquette of drinking focus on the wine itself, which contains admire the color, scent the spiciness, and taste the flavor. Westerners also devote particular care to the order of drinking. They would taste white wine at first and then red wine, first lighter wine then Full-bodied wine, first short dated wine then cellaring wine. In accordance with the change of gustatory sense, you will gradually go deep into the changing flavor of wine and enjoy it.Moreover, western people speak highly of personal egalitarian, so it is impolite for someone to urge other people to drink. Guest will get angry if the host keeps on toasting to him. So theres no chance to see people toast to others in a booze, and no finger-guessing games which will liven things up and extremely popular in eastern countries. Only in some particular occasions, present guests will rise up glasses together, and toast to something worth celebration.Chapter 3 Wine Cultures and Western PeopleChapter 3 Wine Cultures and Western PeopleWine has an irreplaceable status to western people. It appears in every aspect of westerners life. Wine can be used to celebrate victory or festival, to be collected like stamps or regarded as a kind of condiment. It can be seen no matter in formal social occasions or in ordinary citizens home, even in a bar where wine is used to shake cocktail. Thus wine plays an important role in the formation of western peoples enthusiasm character and romantic behavior.3.1 The Influence of Wine on Peoples Character Wine culture is a manifestation of human life and customs, different countries have different wine cultures. Everything relatedthe history, culture, religion, life habit and even national characteristicall can be reflected from the wine.Westerners have special rules and routines when drinking, thats because the western way of thinking pay attention to science and rationality, develop and respect the nature of things, it is a kind of material oriented rational thinking. They think highly of different characteristic of different wines, fully respect the nature and taste of wine, strive to demonstrate various flavor of different wines. Appreciation beautiful things is the aesthetic spirit flowing in their blood. Drinking makes people fall into a sort of besotted, trance, and mentally deranged condition, in such condition, the repressed instinct is released. While they are drunk, all the troubles are forgotten and people came back to themselves, thats the highest praise and pursuit to human nature in their mind. But after hangover they will suffer vomit and headache. There is a famous taster once said, “In French, drinking vintage wine is a kind of enjoyment, and also the power of struggling. If you can understand life and art, then you will understand how to taste and appreciate wine. “It is not the goal we perused, but the present god gift us, it is used to decorate the beauty of life and serve as a foil to the world.”8Wine is an elegant drink which itself includes high value of culture and artist. In western society, no matter aristocracy or civilian, white-